The present invention generally relates to visored caps and more particularly to segmented caps, i.e. caps having detachable and interchangeable components.
Visored caps are widely used as marketing tools for virtually all types of companies and products, the forehead portion of a cap permitting highly visible display of a company logo, trademark or tradename. For visored caps having detachable and interchangeable components to be useful as marketing tools it is important that the cap be comfortable to the wearer and that the various components of the cap be easy to attach and detach to each other, since the wearer is likely to associate the displayed company with the cap's wearability. It is also important for marketing purposes that the cap have a neat and clean appearance in all of its various wear configurations. Furthermore, a segmented cap useful as a marketing tool should have means to display the logo, trademark or tradename in each of the various wear configurations. The visored caps of the prior art fail in one or more of the aforementioned aspects.
Various caps having detachable and interchangeable components are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 757,854 to Wickersham discloses a segmented cap comprising a sun visor detachably attachable to a headband. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,105,400 to Burke a segmented cap is disclosed having a reversible crown cover which permits crowns of different color to be exposed. U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,313 to Rosenberg discloses a segmented cap having a cap crown and detachable visor which can be used independently of each other. In the Rosenberg '313 cap the cap crown and the visor are united by a headband attached to the visor that has spaced studs selectively engaging sockets disposed in the cap crown. The forehead portion of the visor fits beneath the studded headband. Therefore when the headband is worn without the cap crown the studs are exposed and thereby diminish the impact, effectiveness and overall acceptability of the cap for display of a logo, trademark or tradename. If the cap crown of the Rosenberg '313 disclosure is used alone, the sockets thereof are brought into contact with the wearer's head which would be uncomfortable and potentially injurious to the wearer In U.S. Pat. No. 1,598,314 to Rosenberg a segmented cap having straps of the visor interconnecting with openings in the cap crown is disclosed. The aforementioned difficulties for use of the cap as a marketing tool are equally applicable to the Rosenberg '314 embodiment of a segmented cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,212 to Huffman discloses a segmented cap having an interchangeable crown portion removably affixed to the forehead portion of a visor by adhesive or self-engaging fastening means, for example hook and loop tape self-engaging fastening means as marketed under the trademark VELCRO. The crown portion of the Huffman cap is provided with fixedly. attached bands that pass through slits at the ends of the forehead portion of the cap for attachment thereto. The loop portion of the VELCRO fastening means is fixedly attached to the forward face of the forehead portion of the visor and the hook portion of the VELCRO fastening means is fixedly attached to the inside edge of the crown portion. In an alternative embodiment a single band attached at the ends thereof to the forehead portion of the cap is held attached to the crown portion by an overlapping flap secured by complementary portions of self-engaging fastening means disposed on respective parts of the crown portion. This alternative embodiment of the cap permits the visor to be worn separate from the crown portion. In either embodiment of the Huffman cap, the loop portion of the VELCRO fastening means is disposed on the forward face of the forehead portion of the visor to achieve the requisite neat appearance of the cap and if the visor is worn separately from the crown portion, the loop portion of the VELCRO fastening means diminishes the impact, effectiveness and overall acceptability of the cap for display of a company logo, trademark or tradename. Also, if the crown portion is worn separately, the hook portion of the VELCRO fastening means at the inside edge of the crown portion will irritate the wearer's forehead and the crown will not fit the head properly. Furthermore, to replace a crown in the Huffman cap requires at least four steps: (1) attach the crown to the fastening means on the forehead portion of the visor, (2) secure the band at one side of the forehead portion, (3) secure the band at the opposite side of the forehead portion, and (4) fasten the flap at the rear of the cap.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,589 to Goldstein an adjustable eye shade is disclosed having a headband and a detachable visor element selectively attachable by hook and loop tape self-engaging fastening means. The headband is formed from or includes on a portion thereof absorbent fabric material forming a sweatband. The visor element does not include a forehead portion and the headband includes fastening means on its forward face and therefore is unsuitable as a marketing tool when worn separately. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,903 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,317 to Brown et al. an elasticized sweatband combined with a detachably connected visor element (or cap) is disclosed. The visor element has a forehead portion but the sweatband includes fastening means on its forward face which likewise diminishes the impact, effectiveness and overall acceptability of the sweatband as a marketing tool when worn separately.
As can be understood from the foregoing, there remains a need within the art for a segmented cap having detachable components that can be utilized as marketing tools when worn separately. The use of hook and loop tape self-engaging fastening means or other non-printable fastening means imposes limitations on the segmented caps of the prior art overcome by the present invention.